Often during sporting, automobile accidents, or due to illness or disease, individuals may lose one or more teeth. The loss of teeth may result in loss of integrity of the bite. Also, many individuals are uncomfortable with the appearance of missing teeth. The dental arts have established technology to create artificial teeth that mimic an individual's original teeth. For example, the dental arts, using ceramics, can mold teeth that look mimic natural teeth.
Among others, zirconia is a popular material from which dental replacements are made. However, zirconia creates a very hard surface which is not easily colored. Zirconia also requires firing at temperatures over 900° C. At that temperature, the pigments traditionally used to color dental ceramics disappear and lose color. Presently it is the knowledge of that art that no stains or other colorants will adhere or bond to Zirconium ceramics.
Zirconia is a very strong material and the dental sciences are quickly adopting zirconia ceramics for use in dental restorations. However, a drawback to the use of zirconia is the stark white color of the material. Most individuals prefer dental restorations which have the appearance and color of a natural tooth. Specifically, individuals wish to have dental restorations that blend in naturally with the remaining teeth.